News

2013-12-05 16:46:08.88

Jefferson City Man Wins $126,000 Show Me Cash Jackpot

Robert Mueller of Jefferson City said his brother got him playing the Missouri Lottery’s Show Me Cash game. Mueller and his brother, Kenny, own and operate B & W Battery and Auto Repair on McCarty Street. Kenny told Robert about EZ Match, the instant game that uses Show Me Cash numbers to award cash prizes. Mueller had been winning a few dollars with EZ Match, so he was shocked when he checked his tickets and saw a much larger number - $126,000.

“He says, ‘There are winners in there,’” recalled Mueller, about his brother telling him about EZ Match. “He had won a couple times, and then I won a couple times, so I kind of got hooked on it.”

Mueller purchased his winning Quick Pick Show Me Cash ticket with EZ Match at Xpress Liquor & Smoke, 510 Ellis Blvd., in Jefferson City. Although EZ Match pays out instantly, Mueller asked the clerks not to tell him, so that he could be surprised when he checked his tickets. He was definitely surprised when he checked his tickets at a local Break Time store.

“Second to the last one, I checked,” he said. “I was like, ‘OK. $126. I’ll take that.’ I scanned it again and looked. I’m like, ‘There are zeros behind that!’”

Mueller told his wife, Denise, and then broke the news to his brother. Kenny, who takes credit for getting Robert started on Show Me Cash, gave him some good-natured ribbing.

“I told him, and he was like, ‘Are you serious?’” recounted Mueller. “I said, ‘Yep! I’ve scanned that thing about eight times.’ I’ll just pay for a round of golf, and he’ll be happy.”

Plans for the windfall were simple.

“I’m going to get a new Christmas tree,” chimed Denise. “And he said, ‘I’ve got to get new work shoes.’”

Denise said that she had been looking at Christmas trees online, but didn’t want to spend the money. She joked that they could now afford it. She added that her retirement date was now set, and most of the money would go into the bank for future needs.

Robert said he’ll keep working, and he’ll keep trying to win the Lottery. He joked that he played Powerball Saturday night, “because if I hit the Show Me Cash jackpot again, my brother will kill me.”

Show Me Cash is a daily Draw Game with jackpots that start at $50,000 and grow until someone wins. Mueller claimed the 284th jackpot in the game since 2008. In the last 12 months, 56 Show Me Cash jackpots have been awarded for an average amount of more than $163,000.